Chapter 3

"Five Years Later"

The atmosphere in the Mystic Grill was, to say the least, dull. No one was at the pool tables racking up for a break. A handful of the elderly were in the dining area waiting to be served by their waiter. No patrons, save one, were at the bar. Damon sat on the bar stool and swirled the remainders of his bourbon around in his glass, playing with it but not really enjoying its flavor. Life had become boring. What do you do when you are as successful as he was? When money was never an issue and you could get by on good looks anyway?

He sighed and took another small sip and replaced the glass on the counter, signaling for another refill. The pretty blonde bartender hurried over with a smile.

"Another bourbon sir?" She asked politely.

Damon nodded a tad coldly. He was over women for a while. Katherine had seen to that when she had left him standing humiliated at the alter the weekend before. Ten minutes before she was supposed to walk down the isle in a gown made of white, while the organ played the bridal march, to join him in vows of ever lasting love and devotion. She sent a note to tell him that it wasn't what she wanted.

He wasn't what she wanted.

So he watched as she drove away in the car he had bought her, to be with her yoga instructor of seven weeks. Damon slammed his fist into the bar earning him a few glares from the dining area. Damn it! He had paid for those sessions. Katherine had begged to join the class so she could look 'radiant' and 'glowing' on their wedding day. What a fool he'd been.

The blonde returned bringing with her his preferred choice of poison. He nodded his thanks as she laid down a fresh napkin and placed his drink upon it. With a wary glance in his direction she turned and headed to the group of rowdy young men that had arrived.

"Caroline! What's the drink special?" One of the crowd called.

"Tyler I think you've had enough where did you guys come from?" She answered sternly.

"My house duh!" He exclaimed drunkenly.

"Well you're not drinking here!" She said before escaping through the kitchen doors.

Tyler muttered slurred words of discontent but made no move to follow. Probably a good move on his part, Damon thought. Though now that he thought about it, he was in just the right mood for a good ol' bar brawl.

The kitchen doors opened again before Damon got a chance to make his way to the drunken college boys.

"Tyler what would your mother say?" The stunning brunette girl said with hands on her hips.

"'Lena who cares?" The boy called Tyler said stupidly.

"I'll tell you one person who will care. Your father." And with that the girl pulled out her cell phone and began to dial. Tyler stood there in stunned silence as his drunken brain worked furiously to figure out what was happening. Finally it clicked.

"You're calling my dad?" He asked slowly.

"Yup."

"'Lena hang up the phone"

"It's ringing"

"'Lena hang up the phone!"

"Not a chance Lockwood you need to go home and obviously you're too drunk to get yourself there. So I'm calling you a ride." She continued to hold the phone up to her ear.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" He screamed.

With an animalistic roar Tyler threw himself at the petite figure, tackling her to the hardwood floor with an audible crunch. Damon was on them in a flash. Pulling the drunken football linebacker off the tiny girl, Damon slammed him into the nearest object, a decorative support beam near the pool tables.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked as he tried to break free of Damon's headlock.

"I'm your worst fucking nightmare." He answered.

"Dude let me go." Tyler fought to break the hold on his head.

"Not a chance. If I ever see you lay another hand on a girl EVER, I'll break you into such tiny pieces and no one will ever find you. Got it?" Damon threatened menacingly.

Tyler tried again to break Damon's hold, to no avail, and finally agreed.

Damon threw him to the floor and kneeled down next to the girl.

"Are you alright there, sweetheart?" He asked taking her hand and helping her to her feet.

"Yeah just a little dizzy. I think I hit my head." She said putting her hand out to catch herself. Damon's arm snaked around her waist and he swung her up into his arms.

"I'm ok really." She protested.

"You might have a concussion, come on I have my bag in the car." Damon wouldn't take no for an answer. The girl finally agreed to let him look her over. He probed he back of her head gently 'til he found the knot he knew would be there. She hadn't hit the floor lightly.

"Ouch." She hissed as he pressed on it.

"Yea I thought so." He chuckled. He took out his flashlight and ran it across her pupils a few times.

"Well" He said finally "You don't seem to be suffering from any life threatening illnesses, and no concussion." He said with a smile. The girl flushed in embarrassment, and looked at the pavement.

"Thank you." She said barely above a whisper.

"You can thank me by not pissing off a guy that size again, and by going to dinner with me. I don't usually interfere in things like that." He said with a smirk.

The girl looked at him confused.

"Then why did you?" She asked.

Damon took a moment to think about it.

"Beats the hell out of me."

"Well thank you…?" The girl looked at him.

"Damon, Damon Salvatore at your service." He gave a flourished mock bow.

"Well Damon thank you for saving me. Tyler has a bit of a temper and I guess I just pushed it too far tonight." She said hugging herself against the chill of the night.

Damon shrugged out of his jacket and placed it on her shoulders.

She smiled at him through the dark.

Dude what are you doing? The devil on his right shoulder asked him, I thought you had sworn off all women?

Damon stopped and thought about it. He didn't know what he was doing but he knew he would have done it all over again.

"I didn't quite catch your name before." He said as he walked her back towards the Grill.

"It's Elena… Elena Gilbert." She said reaching out to shake his hand. "At your service." She repeated his line back to him with a mock courtesy.

"'til tomorrow Elena Gilbert." He said before kissing her hand and heading towards his car.

His headlights flashed and he was gone before Elena remembered she was wearing his jacket.

'Til tomorrow Damon Salvatore.